The Two Foundations

²⁴ “Therefore,^(A) everyone who hears these words^(B) of Mine and acts on them will be like a sensible man who built his house on the rock. ²⁵ The rain fell, the rivers rose, and the winds blew and pounded that house. Yet it didn’t collapse, because its foundation was on the rock.

⁴⁷ I will show you what someone is like who comes to Me, hears My words, and acts on them:^(A)

²⁸ He said, “Even more, those who hear the word of God^(A) and keep it^(B) are blessed!”

²² But^(A) be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. ²³ Because if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man looking at his own face^[a] in a mirror. ²⁴ For he looks at himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. ²⁵ But the one who looks intently into the perfect law of freedom and perseveres in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but one who does good works—this person will be blessed in what he does.^(B)